


Fueling the Fire

by Queenie_004



Category: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Holidays, Mutual Pining, Real Feelings, Romantic Fluff, Ski Trip Snacks, That Lockscreen Pic You Know the One
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 04:55:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16033409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenie_004/pseuds/Queenie_004
Summary: "The contract existed to lay out all the terms of the fake dating agreement. They met, discussed, compromised and both signed off on it. With the terms laid out there would be no need to question what was expected or acceptable because the lined notepaper with the numbered list created under the trees by the track was exceedingly clear. Except at some point things started to get a little fuzzy."Some glimpses of how Lara Jean and Peter fake dated their way into real love.Like all writers I crave feedback! Please share in the comments if you have any and thank you for reading!





	Fueling the Fire

The contract existed to lay out all the terms of the fake dating agreement. They met, discussed, compromised and both signed off on it. With the terms laid out there would be no need to question what was expected or acceptable because the lined notepaper with the numbered list created under the trees by the track was exceedingly clear.

Except at some point things started to get a little fuzzy. Lines began getting crossed. Actions that clearly had not been negotiated occurred. And the thing was, neither of them mentioned it. It was as if the contract and its very specific stipulations ceased to exist.

***

**September**

Attending parties together was indeed part of the contract but what happened between them at the parties definitely hadn’t made it onto their agreed upon list. Like the first party at Greg’s that she had reluctantly gone to and then surprised him by planting a kiss on his cheek for a selfie which had delighted him since “no kissing” was one of the terms but maybe that had only meant “on the mouth” so cheeks or foreheads or a crown of amazing smelling silky hair were in fact, not off limits.

***

Maybe they should have been more explicit about the PDAs. The hand-in-back-pocket is a success and Peter’s addition of a twirl at the end of it so Lara Jean ends up pressed into his chest leaves her more than a little breathless, and leaves Gen one of many girls more than a bit jealous. He starts casually leaving his hand on her leg when they’re at lunch or sitting in the Quad and she not only doesn’t shoot daggers at him with her eyes, she rests her own hand on top of his as if she likes it there. He surprises her at her locker coming up behind to grab her waist and she surprises him right back by reclining into him, making him the one a bit breathless. She giggles when he gives her piggy back rides out to the parking lot after school and he brushes strands of hair back behind her ear often enough that she stops pushing it back herself because she likes how he looks at her when he does it. When he’s over at her house and she’s cooking he sits up on the counter watching her while they talk and when she needs a taste test she comes right up between his dangling legs and feeds him, a few times using her finger to wipe away a drop that escapes his lips and watching in fascination as he blushes.

**October**

There were Peter’s game days when Lara Jean baked his favorite cookies from her repertoire: Peanut Butter Blossoms replacing the Hershey’s Kiss in the middle with a miniature Reese’s. She’d make them the night before carefully layering the wax in the Tupperware and even scrawl a little post-it on top “Have a great game!” or “Get em Kavinsky!” When she’d hand them to him in the car in the morning his enthusiastic response would echo off the walls of the jeep making Kitty exaggeratedly hold her hands over her ears. And after those games as autumn went on and the afternoons got colder, Peter would trot up to Lara Jean huddled on the bleachers and take her chilled hands between his, still warm from his gloves and rub the cold away. More than once bringing his mouth down to meet her hands curled inside his and blow heated breath over her fingers.

***

After a double feature movie night with Kitty (they’d settled on a pick each so that Peter didn’t have four hours of romcoms and Lara Jean didn’t have four hours of comic book heroes) Kitty fell asleep as they negotiated how to get more comfortable for the second movie. So she missed how they ended up the way she found them when she woke up and that was asleep together on the sofa with Peter on his back and Lara Jean curled up against him with her hand resting on his chest while his arm wrapped around her. Kitty swallowed the squeal that threatened to escape her mouth as her eyes darted around for whoever’s phone was closest. It was her sister’s so she very carefully reached for it and silencing it she opened the camera app and even more carefully climbed onto the end table and held the phone over them to take a snap. When they woke up to the sound of Dr. Covey coming home from a late night delivery, Lara Jean checked the time on her phone and was startled at her new wallpaper. “Whoa whoa whoa!” Peter exclaimed, “where did you get that…wait..how..?” They both looked around the room and when their eyes met they said in unison “Kitty.” On Monday morning when Kitty handed Peter his daily Yakult he slipped a note into her palm. “Hey Kitty Kat – text me that pic. You little paparazzi!”

**November**

When Lara Jean does Debate Club Peter goes to her tournaments even though he’s not required to. He cheers her on and whoops like a madman when she wins a point. She gives him smiles from the podium and he returns them with thumbs up mouthing “You got this girl.” At the final event of the semester when Lara Jean kicks ass and wins a “Top Debater” trophy Peter is so proud of her he dashes down the theater steps and picks her up like one of those coaches at the Olympics holding the tiny gymnast up with her medal. The school paper photographer snaps it and they make the front page of the Adler High Student that week. Lara Jean tucks the clipping into her book for a bookmark. Peter slips it into the edge of his bedroom mirror.

***

At Thanksgiving Peter’s mom invites Lara Jean over for dessert. She’s a little reluctant to leave her dad and Kitty with it being the first year Margot is gone but they both practically push her out the door as her absence means they can get into some serious videogame contests without her there being a videogame killjoy. She drives to the Kavinsky’s very slowly even though the roads are dry and not many cars are on them. Even though Thanksgiving at her house is a casual sweatpants and hoodies type of affair, she’s meeting Peter’s grandparents and she wants to make a good impression so she's dressed for the occasion. Even fake girlfriends are respectful of their elders. Peter opens the door with a big smile and a nicely fitted button-up and gives her a kiss on the cheek while his mom welcomes her and takes the bags out of her hands. She’s made a Bailey’s Irish Cream cheesecake with a dark chocolate crust, a brown butter crumble top apple pie with maple whipped cream for the top, and an Orange Creamsicle tart, “Um – this one is for Peter” she says shyly as he stands across from her leaning against the kitchen island, “Just for Peter” He saw it online when she was looking at recipes and did a fair amount of pleading for her to make it. His eyes widen and his grandfather chuckles, “Oh Petey, that’s a good one you got there! Don’t let her get away or you’re out of the Will!” and around them the family laughs but Peter’s just watching her with a look that used to make her nervous, but now makes her feel like warm liquid is coursing through her body, “Thanks Covey” he mouths and she mouths back “Petey?!” before she’s ushered into the living room to meet his grandmother.

**December**

When she boards the bus for the agreed upon Ski Trip Peter is waiting and when she reaches him he rises and puts her bag overhead. She sits down and he’s all grins. “What are you up to Peter Kavinsky?” she asks with suspicious eyes. He likes that she calls him by his whole name, like he’s something special. Like he’s special to her. He just shrugs and the bus starts to move and they settle in. As the journey goes on they find themselves pressed closer to each other and when Daniel Hopkins comes over to talk to them Peter takes her hand in his although after Daniel leaves, neither let go. “I’m hungry” Lara Jean sighs, “how much farther is this place anyway?” Peter’s big grin comes back and she says, “OK seriously, _what_ are you up to?” Releasing her hand he reaches under his seat and pulls out an insulated bag that he places on her lap. “Open it” She pulls the zipper and inside sitting on top of an ice pack are several bottles of Yakult as well as a bag of baby carrots and a bag of grapes. “Peter” she breathes, “Wait, wait, wait” he says and brings out another bag and unrolls it, “I’ve got those cookies you like from Corner Café, Sun Chips – if you’re feeling savory – Harvest Cheddar, _obviously_ and,” with a flourish he pulls out the last item “Sour Patch Kids! I’ll eat all the green ones you hate, don’t worry.” She doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t know what this means, or, she thinks she knows exactly what it means but doesn’t dare believe it yet. Turning to him she says “You’re the best” he laughs, “No, really Peter. You are the _best_. Thank you.” She’s so genuine and her eyes are filled with something that he has desperately been waiting to see from her. “You’re welcome” he says, his voice low and almost shy. A shout goes out in the back of the bus and then laughter and their moment is broken so she reaches into the bag and pulls out two yogurts, shaking them at him until he points to the one he wants then they peel off the lids and tap their bottles and toast, “To the Ski Trip!”

***

When he arrives to pick Lara Jean up for the Christmas Formal Peter is stunned into silence as she glides down the stairs wearing a cranberry red dress with satin ribbons for straps and a high cut that skims her thighs. Her hair cascades in waves down her back and one side is pinned with a festive clip. He leads her out to his jeep and opens the door for her, holding her hand as she climbs in like she’s a Princess entering her carriage. Before he closes it she catches him staring at her and she nervously touches her face, “what is it? Did I use too much lip gloss?” He has trouble forming words and shakes his head, “My god Covey you look so damn sexy” and he shuts the door softly on her surprised face muttering “Keep it together Kavinsky” under his breath before getting into his car which now smells of her perfume. At the party he doesn’t leave her side because for one thing, he doesn’t want to miss a single second of being able to watch this beautiful girl laughing next to him on the couch and crossing her gorgeous legs like a goddamn supermodel. For another, he sees how guys are checking her out and he doesn’t want any single one of them to get drunken ideas about hitting on his girl, fake or not. As they stroll hand in hand past the dance floor there is a loud rattle of a jingle bell and then people around them start chanting “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Startled they look at each other and around at everyone pointing above their heads where a healthy sprig of mistletoe is hanging. Peter looks down at Lara Jean and tries to read her face because “no kissing (on the mouth)” is part of the deal and he’s pretty sure that one of the “real things” she probably wants to do is kiss under mistletoe so he’s thrilled when she reaches up and slides her hand behind his neck to pull his face to hers. And then she kisses him. And not just a short peck but like, _kisses_ him and he leans further down and wrapping an arm around her waist he lifts her up and everyone in the vicinity starts whooping and when Lara Jean throws both arms around his neck and kicks her leg back like the heroine at the end of a romcom, the crowd erupts in cheers and snapping smartphones and the next morning as she lays in bed re-living the magical night and scrolling through her Instagram she blushes and then feels her heart flutter at a photo from a classmate tagging them with the caption _“Get yourself someone who kisses you like Peter Kavinsky kisses Lara Jean Covey #swoon #omgsohot #getaroomyoutwo #cutestcoupleever #covinsky #adlerhighwinterformal”_

***

On Christmas Day Peter is out of town with his mom and brother to his aunt’s and Lara Jean is excited by Margot being home and the usual flurry of Christmas activities and preparations like the sounds of “A Christmas Story” on endless repeat on the TV, the smells of her sister cooking a goose from a recipe she got from her English roommate, and her dad burning a side dish as he did every year. The Covey Girls are all in their new Christmas pajamas that they open from their grandparents on Christmas Eve and a light snow is falling outside making it a white Christmas. Lara Jean’s phone keeps chiming with messages from Peter who is keeping her updated on his day and asking about hers.

            _So what did you get?_

_Books, a new case for my iPhone, a gorgeous sweater Margot got me from Ireland, new pajamas_

_Nice! Tell me about these pajamas. Silky? Slinky?_

_Comfy, fleecey, unicorns with Christmas lights on their horns_

            _Way to kill the mood Covey!_

_Sorry Peter, next year I’ll ask my grandparents “can you send something sexier maybe slightly trashy please” (winking emoji)_

_That’s my girl (heart eyes emoji)_

They go back and forth the whole day and when Lara Jean curls up in bed in her non-sexy unicorn pajamas she scrolls through to see that they have texted each other well over 100 times and even while she’s estimating this another one comes through:

            _I can’t wait to give you your present (gift emoji)_

_Wait, we’re doing presents? (chin scratching emoji)_

_Don’t play Covey, I know you got me something_

_And you know this how, exactly?_

_I know you Lara Jean_

The three dots pulse and then stop and she doesn’t want to respond with a joke because to tell the truth, he does know her. She’s not even sure when it happened but in all this craziness they got themselves into, he somehow has gotten under her skin. And she likes it.

***

It’s New Year’s Eve and there’s another party but they leave early both feeling an urge they don’t express but share – that they want to be alone. Their contract has gone on for four months. Gen seems well over Peter and went skiing for the holidays with her college boyfriend. Josh is smitten with Arielle Parker his chem lab partner and their first date was happening tonight. There’s no need for a fake relationship anymore and even though Lara Jean insisted on having it and shaking on the terms, she doesn’t even know where the actual contract is in the disaster area that is her room post-Christmas. They walk downtown under the holiday lights and past all the people out having First Night Celebrations. It’s not too cold but Peter can sense Lara Jean shivering next to him so they stop next to the pond in the park where floating lanterns bob on the surface and he unfurls his scarf and wraps it around her neck. “Thanks” she says through muffled layers and he laughs and pulls it down a bit so her soft pink lips are visible. They stand that way for a bit looking at each other and Peter takes the plunge, “Lara Jean I don’t want to be your fake boyfriend anymore.” She’s looking up at him through her long lashes, “OK” she says solemnly and moves a step closer to him, “I don’t want to be your fake girlfriend anymore either.” “No?” he says, “No” she shakes her head. “Well then” he exhales, “I guess we’re fake breaking up” She nods, “Mmmm hmmm. It kinda looks like it.” “It’s too bad” he says as he reaches for her hands, “yeah, we had a good run though” she interlaces her fingers with his. “It was kinda the best fake relationship I’ve ever had” he’s close enough to her now that he can smell her perfume which is a smell he loves to carry on his clothes after he’s been near her. “Me too. But since I no longer have a fake boyfriend, I’m in the market for a real one” she’s pressed against his chest now and is readying herself to get on her tiptoes. “Ouch Covey. The body is still warm and you’re already stepping over it!” Peter teases. In the distance they hear a countdown starting. She tilts her face up to his, “Peter Kavinsky?” “Yes Lara Jean?” she rises up as the numbers count down, “Will you be my _boyfriend_ boyfriend?” His mouth hovers over hers, “Yes, Lara Jean.” They don’t hear the final number but as their lips meet midnight strikes and fireworks go off over their heads. This relationship needs no terms, no rules, no handshakes. It’s simply sealed with a kiss.

***

 _So deep, your DNA's being messed with my touch_  
_Can't beat us_  
_So real, fueling the fire until we combust_  
_Can't touch us_

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Valentine / 5 Seconds of Summer (2018)


End file.
